Turkey’s Erdogan Visits Riyadh to Solidify Warming Ties

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to meet (Bloomberg) with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh today to mend a rift escalated by the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. “All aspects of the relations” will be reviewed to enhance cooperation, Erdogan’s office said. Turkey has drawn closer to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in recent months in hopes of alleviating its economic woes ahead of elections next year.

Relations between Turkey and Gulf Arab countries soured after the 2011 Arab uprisings, when Erdogan supported Islamist groups throughout the region. After Khashoggi’s murder by Saudi agents in Istanbul, Erdogan blamed the “highest levels” (Reuters) of the Saudi government. However, Ankara this month transferred the suspects’ trial to Riyadh.

Analysis

“Without repairing these relationships [with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE] the kind of investment that is necessary to try to help revive the Turkish economy—which has been on the skids for a number of years—is going to be more difficult,” CFR’s Steven A. Cook said in an October webinar.

“Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been working on a rapprochement for months, part of a broader realignment that’s seen regional rivals heal rifts and step back from conflicts since President Joe Biden took office,” Bloomberg’s Selcan Hacaoglu and Firat Kozok write.

Pacific Rim

Germany’s Scholz Visits Japan

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz begins a two-day visit (DW) to Japan today that is expected to focus on security ties, the war in Ukraine, and coordination on China.

For Foreign Affairs, Takako Hikotani discusses how the Ukraine war is changing Japan.

North Korea/South Korea: A North Korean defectors’ group in South Korea said it sent activist leaflets (Yonhap) over the countries’ shared border, a practice Seoul has banned.

South and Central Asia

Sri Lankan Workers Hold Nationwide Strike, Call for President’s Ouster

The strike has halted public transportation (AFP) and reduced school attendance across the country.

India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged businesses and hospitals to review their fire safety practices (Hindustan Times) amid a heat wave that has led to several fires, including at a state-run hospital and a chemical factory.

Middle East and North Africa

Moscow Reportedly Moves Russian, Syrian Fighters From Libya

More than one thousand mercenaries deployed by Russia in Libya have left the country in recent weeks as Moscow redirects its resources toward Ukraine, Western and Libyan officials told the Financial Times.

A New Tool to Fight Climate Change

To limit catastrophic warming, the world needs to consider adding sunlight reflection to its arsenal for managing climate risk, CFR’s Stewart M. Patrick argues in a new Council Special Report.

Read the Report

Read the new Council Special Report from Senior Fellow Stewart M. Patrick

Sub-Saharan Africa

Nigerian Senate Approves Ban on Ransom Payments

To stem kidnappings, the bill would make ransom payments punishable (Vanguard) by at least fifteen years in prison. It will now be debated (Al Jazeera) in the House of Representatives.

Sudan: Authorities released two former government officials (AP) from jail as part of efforts to ease tensions between the military government and the opposition.

Europe

Guterres, Zelenskyy Meet in Kyiv

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is meeting (DW) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv today after visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week. Guterres reportedly aims to secure evacuation routes for civilians.

On the Why It Matters podcast, CFR President Richard Haass offers insights on the war in Ukraine.

U.S./Russia: U.S. and Russian authorities exchanged one prisoner each (CNN), allowing former U.S. marine Trevor Reed to return home. He was detained in 2019.

Americas

Colombian Officials Admit to Crimes Against Humanity

At a hearing in a special court, ten military officials and a civilian admitted to orchestrating (NYT) the murders of dozens of civilians during Colombia’s civil war and trying to pass them off as combat deaths. The hearing was seen as a landmark step in the peace process agreed upon in a 2016 deal.

Haiti: Fighting among gangs in the capital, Port-au-Prince, has killed at least twenty people (AP) in recent days and caused thousands to flee their homes, authorities said.

United States

Washington Announces $670 Million in Food Aid to Six Countries

The funds will go to (USDA) Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen, all countries where the war in Ukraine has exacerbated food insecurity.

CFR’s Michelle Gavin discusses East Africa’s growing food crisis.

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